The present invention relates generally to an opaque article and the method of making the opaque article. Specifically, the present invention relates to design patterns on opaque articles such as tires.
Tires typically include indicia on the sidewalls. Indicia can include, for example, letters, numbers, symbols, designs etc. The indicia help identify the manufacturer of the tire. Often, the indicia is difficult to discern on the black background of the tire sidewall. Tire manufacturers have endeavored to increase the visibility of the indicia on the sidewall of tires using numerous techniques.
One method of increasing the visibility of the indicia on the tire sidewall involves raising at least a portion of the indicia from the rest of the sidewall. U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,525 demonstrates this method. The patent discloses the outline of the indicia as being raised from the tire sidewall.
Another method of increasing the visibility of the indicia on the tire sidewall involves the use of colored indicia. Colored indicia set on a black tire background certainly increase the visibility of the indicia. The use of colored indicia, however, can complicate the manufacturing process. In addition, tires with colored indicia tend to require increased maintenance from the tire owner as compared to tires without colored indicia.
Another method of increasing the visibility of the indicia on the tire sidewall involves using serrations, or striae. The serrations change the amount of light reflected or deflected from the tire sidewall. The variation in light reflection or deflection enhances the visibility of the indicia. Several patents typify this method. U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,856 discloses the use of serrations on a flat portion of the tire sidewall to define the outline of the indicia. U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,758 discloses the use of two sets of serrations angled with respect to one another. The first set of serrations defines the decorative band around the tire sidewall. The second set of serrations, superimposed over the first set of serrations, forms the indicia.
The aforementioned methods of increasing visibility, while suitable in many instances, still do not provide a strong contrast to the indicia through a wide range of illumination and viewing angles. Clearly, there is room for improvement in the art.